Daylily plant named ‘Romantic Returns’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Hemerocallis cultivar of the evergreen type named ‘Romantic Returns’ is provided. The new cultivar is very floriferous and forms attractive coral rose-pink blossoms over an extended period of time that commonly begins during early June and commonly ends during early to mid-October in USDA Hardiness Zone No. 7. The new plant readily forms fans and readily forms a number of scapes per fan. The new cultivar is particularly well suited for growing as distinctive colorful ornamentation in the landscape.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Hemerocallis hybrida/Daylily.

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. ‘Romantic Returns’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofHemerocallis of the evergreen type, and hereinafter is referred to bythe cultivar name ‘Romantic Returns’.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program which hadas its objective the creation of a new Daylily cultivar that is intendedfor use as attractive ornamentation in the landscape.

The cross that resulted in the production of the new cultivar of thepresent invention was carried out in a controlled environment duringJuly, 1993, at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. The female parent (i.e., the seedparent) of the new cultivar was the ‘Sue Rothbauer’ cultivar(non-patented in the United States) having rose-colored flowers whichdisplay a diameter of approximately 17 cm and fragile tepals that lackresistance to sunlight.

The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) of the new cultivar was the‘Pete's Joy’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States) which formspink flowers which display a diameter of approximately 14 cm and fragiletepals that lack resistance to sunshine. Each parent cultivar isregistered with the American Hemerocallis Society.

The parentage of the new cultivar of the present invention can besummarized as follows:

‘Sue Rothbauer’×‘Pete's Joy’

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and smallplantlets were obtained which were physically and biologically differentfrom each other. A number of such plants were transplanted into a fieldat Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. during May, 1994. Selective study duringJune, 1996 resulted in the identification of a single plant of the newcultivar.

It was found that the new Hemerocallis cultivar of the present inventionis of the evergreen type and:

(a) forms attractive coral rose-pink flowers having substantialsubstance and a funnel-shaped form,

(b) possesses a long blooming season with substantially continuousblooming,

(c) exhibits a propensity to readily display a plurality of fans, and

(d) readily forms a plurality of scapes per fan over the floweringseason.

The ‘Romantic Returns’ cultivar resembles some well-known cultivars,such as the ‘Stella D' Oro’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States)and the ‘Happy Returns’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States) inthe sense that it commonly possesses an extremely long and substantiallycontinuous blooming season of up to approximately 115 days in USDAHardiness Zone No. 7. Such blooming commonly begins during early Juneand commonly ends during early to mid-October. This compares to a bloomperiod of less than about 30 days for over 99 percent of the hybridDaylilies that are known to the inventor.

As indicated, ‘Romantic Returns’ exhibits attractive coral rose-pinkflowers that readily can be distinguished from the orange-yellow flowersof the ‘Stella D' Oro’ cultivar and the medium yellow flowers of the‘Happy Returns’ cultivar. To the best of the knowledge of the originator‘Romantic Returns’ is the first long and substantially continuouslyblooming Daylily having flowers that exhibit a coral rose-pink hue.

The new cultivar can form up to 4 to 5 or more fans per year. Thiscompares to approximately 6 to 8 fans per year for the ‘Stella D' Oro’cultivar and the ‘Happy Returns’ cultivar. Most Daylily cultivars formonly approximately 2 to 3 fans per year. Also, the new cultivar commonlyforms several scapes per fan during the flowering season, unlike mostDaylilies that commonly produce only one scape per fan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by division was initiallycarried out on Sep. 20, 1996 at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. At the time ofsuch asexual reproduction the original plant of the new cultivarconsisted of a clump of 4 to 5 fans that were phenotypically identicalto each other. More specifically, the clump of the new cultivar wasremoved from the field and the fans were divided. It has beendemonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar are firmlyfixed and are well retained following this asexual reproduction.

‘Romantic Returns’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light, day length, contact with pesticides, etc.

The new cultivar is being marketed beginning in 2002 while bearing theHAPPY EVER APPSTER trademark.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph was prepared during the late summer, andshows as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same incolor illustrations of this character, the original plant and flower ofthe new cultivar of the present invention. The plant was approximatelyone year of age and was being grown outdoors in the field at Bridgeton,N.J., U.S.A.

FIG. 1—illustrates the plant clump with foliage, buds, and flowers invarious stages of maturity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.In some instances, more common color terms are provided and are to beaccorded their usual dictionary significance. The original plant of thenew cultivar is described when observed during early June 1996 whenapproximately one year of age and while growing at Bridgeton, N.J.,U.S.A. under field growing conditions.

Plant:

Height.—Approximately 64 cm at an age of one year.

Width.—Approximately 50 cm at an age of one year.

Foliage.—Form: single stem, substantially erect scapes from a fan-shapedbase having narrow arching, long, keeled, grass-like glabrous leavesthat are two-ranked at the base of the scape. Quantity: abundant, with amature plant commonly having approximately 16 leaves per fan. Leaf Size:commonly approximately 2.5 cm in width on average and approximately 56cm in length on average. Leaf Shape: linear and long-keeled (asillustrated in FIG. 1) with entire margins. Texture: glabrous. Color:Green Group 137C on both surfaces. Type: evergreen with the plantretaining some foliage during the winter.

Scape.—Color: Green Group 139C. Length: commonly approximately 60 cm onaverage. Diameter: approximately 6 mm.

Disease resistance.—Typical of Hemerocallis with no problems having beenobserved to date.

Inflorescence:

Bud.—Form: modified oblanceolate (as illustrated in FIG. 1). Size: onthe day prior to opening commonly approximately 7 cm in length onaverage and approximately 1.6 cm in width on average. Color:Yellow-Green Group 153D. Opening Rate: commonly approximately threehours on average. Outer Tepal Color: when sepals first divide, Red Group53D. Peduncle Character: rigid and sturdy. Peduncle Diameter:Approximately 6 mm. Peduncle Color: Green Group 137A.

Flower.—Size: commonly has a diameter of approximately 12 cm on averageand a depth of approximately 6 cm on average. Borne: singly on thebranchlets of a sturdy erect rachis which is ramulose. Each scapecommonly has at least 4 to 5 peduncles, each of which divides intoapproximately five pedicels. Blooms Per Scape: Commonly ranges from 2 to3 each day. Tepalage: each flower consists of six perianth segmentswherein there are three outer tepals and three inner tepals all in animbricated arrangement. Outer Tepal Shape: oblanceolate with slightlyundulated entire margins and an acuminate apex. Outer Tepal Texture:ribbed. Outer Tepal Size: commonly approximately 7.5 cm in length onaverage and approximately 2.5 cm in width on average. Outer Tepal Color:Red Group 53C on the upper surface, and Yellow-Green Group 153D on theunder surface. Outer Tepal Apex: Acute. Outer Tepal Margin: minutelywavy. Inner Tepal Shape: oblanceolate. Inner Tepal Texture: ribbed.Inner Tepal Size: commonly approximately 7.5 cm in length on average andapproximately 4.5 cm in width on average. Inner Tepal Color: on theupper surface coral pink-rose, Red Group 53D, commonly with a watermarkof Red Group 54D and with Yellow-Green Group 150A and Yellow-Green Group150D, and on the under surface Red-Purple Group 74C. Pedicel Length:commonly approximately 1 cm. Pedicel Diameter: commonly approximately 4mm. Pedicel Color: Yellow-Green Group 146C. Blooming Habit: the flowerscommonly bloom substantially continuously and the scape commonly issubstantially continuously in bloom for up to approximately 115 days peryear in Hardiness Zone No. 7. Effects of Weather: the flowers willwithstand rain damage in view of the strength of the tepals. LastingQuality: commonly at least 16 hours. As with other Hemerocalliscultivars known to the inventor, the flower color eventually fadessomewhat during the day with the natural effects of environmentalconditions and ongoing maturity. Fragrance: very slight.

Reproductive organs.—Stamen Number: six per flower. Stamen Disposition:individually inserted at the summit of the perianth tube. AntherDisposition: introrse. Anther Size: approximately 0.5 cm in length.Anther Color: Yellow Ochre, Yellow-Orange Group 22A. FilamentConfiguration: slender. Filament Length: commonly approximately 4.5 cmon average. Filament Color: Red Group 53D. Pollen Color: Yellow Ochre,Yellow-Orange Group 22A. Pistil Number: one per flower. Style Length:approximately 6.5 cm in length on average. Style Color: Red Group 53D.Stigma Color: Red Group 53D. Ovaries: three-celled, oblong, and becominga loculiedally three-valved capsule.

Fruit.—Configuration: the seed pod is in the form of an ovoid capsule.Color: at maturity commonly is Green Group 137A. Fertility: the seedsare fertile.

Hardiness: U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone Nos. 6 and 7.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis plant of theevergreen type, substantially as herein shown and described, which: (a)forms attractive coral rose-pink flowers having a substantial substanceand a funnel-shaped form, (b) possesses a long blooming season withsubstantially continuous blooming, (c) exhibits a propensity to readilydisplay a plurality of fans, and (d) readily forms a plurality of scapesper fan over the flowering season.